Positive Psychology Research

Positive Psychology Research, vol. 8, Issue 4, No. 32, Winter 2022

Volume 8, Issue 4 , January 2023

https://doi.org/10.22108/ppls.2023.27351

Abstract

Developing a Model for the Effect of Positive Leadership on Proactive Work Behavior and Psychological Empowerment: The Mediating of Organizational Reliance

Abdulzahra Naami; Asma Mansouri

Volume 8, Issue 4 , January 2023, Pages 1-16

https://doi.org/10.22108/ppls.2023.127288.2066

Abstract

The present study aimed to design and test a structural model for the effect of positive leadership on proactive work behavior and psychological empowerment via the mediation of organizational resilience. The sample consisted of 140 employees from a port company who were selected by random sampling method. ... Read More The present study aimed to design and test a structural model for the effect of positive leadership on proactive work behavior and psychological empowerment via the mediation of organizational resilience. The sample consisted of 140 employees from a port company who were selected by random sampling method. They completed four questionnaires related to their positive leadership, proactive work behavior, psychological empowerment and organizational resilience. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for analyzing the data. The results showed that the proposed model fit the data very well. In addition, the results indicated an indirect effect of positive leadership on proactive work behavior and psychological empowerment through the mediation of organizational resilience. Based on the findings of this study, it can be mentioned that positive leadership has an effective role in increasing organizational resilience and psychological empowerment. It is suggested that specific attention be paid to the concept of organizational resilience due to its applications in today's workplace and competitive advantage for organizations.IntroductionPositive leadership involves the implementation of multiple positive practices that help individuals and organizations to achieve their highest production and performance, generate positive deviant results, and create remarkable vitality in the workplace. The primary objectives of positive leadership are to ﬂourish at work, to experience elevating energy, and to reach levels of effectiveness difficult to attain otherwise (Cameron, 2012). Arakawa and Greenberg (2007) reported that positive leadership can increase job satisfaction, attachment and organizational commitment. Moreover, organizational resilience, in the broad sense, is understood as the ability of an organization to adapt, to return to normal activities following shocks or threats, and to use lessons learned as a driving force to bounce-forward. It focuses on the permanent adaptive changes in organizations. Organizational resilience is also characterized by the intrinsic ability to maintain and regain a dynamically stable state that enables organizations to continue their activities after various shocks and work effectively (Burnard et al., 2018).In addition, proactive work behavior is defined as taking initiative in improving current circumstances or creating new ones. It involves challenging the status quo rather than passively adapting to the present conditions (Crant, 2000). As this definition suggests, there are three main characteristics of proactive work behaviors: self-initiation, future-focus, and change-orientation. Proactive employees do not just react to a situation but they respond to needs or problems at work in an anticipatory manner, without being told or required to do so. Proactive behavior is future-focused and proactive individuals are driven to take actions based on the foresight about future occurrences before they actually happen (Parker & Collins, 2010).Furthermore, psychological empowerment has been defined by (Spreitzer, 1995) as the psychological process or state that is manifested in four cognitions, i.e., competence, impact, self- determination, and meaning. The main question of this present study was whether positive leadership could affect psychological empowerment and proactive work behavior through organizational resilience. Based on this question, a model of effect of positive leadership on proactive work behavior and psychological empowerment with mediating role of organizational resilience was developed and tested. MethodThe statistical population of the study included employees of a port service and maritime transport company of Imam Khomeini Port, Iran. After coordination with human resource management, 180 participations were selected by simple random sampling method and completed four questionnaires including Positive Leadership Questionnaire (a = .85), Proactive Job Behavior Questionnaire (a= .86), Psychological Empowerment Questionnaire (a=.91), and Organizational resilience Questionnaire (a= .82). After excluding the questionnaires with missing and screening the data from the study, the sample included 42 females (30%) and 98 males (70%), and the average age of the sample was 31.48. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was conducted via AMOS Version 24 as the main data analysis test of the study. ResultsTable 1. illustrates the descriptive indexes and correlation coefficients for the variables in the study. Table 1. Descriptive Indexes and Correlation Coefficients of Research Variables 4321MaximumMinimumStd. deviationMVariables 12584/1120/90Positive leadership 10/346 ⃰ ⃰20143/1017/48Organizational resilience 10/623 ⃰ ⃰0/15920123/7015/26Psychological empowerment 10/752 ⃰ ⃰0/811 ⃰ ⃰0/306 ⃰ ⃰3094/8825/55Proactive work behaviorp<0.01** p<0.05 * Table 2. The Goodness of Fit Measures for the Proposed and Final ModelRMSEANFICFITLIIFI AGFIGFIc2/dfDfc2Fitting0/3350/8250/910/6640/8340/5680/87016/626349/877hypothesized model0/0350/9920/9990/960/9990/9920/971/17423/349final modelAs shown in the final model findings (Table 2), the fit index results indicate that the final model have a satisfactory fit to the data and provides a significantly better fit than suggested model Organizational resilience0/35 psychological empowermentProactive work behaviorPositive leadership0/65000/800/030/06 Figure 1. Final structural model of the studyAccording to Figure 1, positive leadership had a significant direct effect on organizational resilience (β= 0/35, p=0/001), but it did not have significant direct effect on psychological empowerment (β= -0/19, p=0/06) and proactive work behavior (β =0/03, p=0/42). Furthermore, the direct paths from organizational resilience to empowerment (β = 0/65, p=0/001) and proactive work behavior (β = 0/80, p=0/002) were significant.Finally Bootstrap method was used to determine the indirect effects of positive leadership on psychological empowerment and proactive work through organizational resilience (Table 3). Table 3. The Indirect EffectsPUpper boundLower boundIndirecteffectIntermediate path0.0010.3120.1330.223Positive leadership → Organizational resilience → Psychological empowerment0.0010.3740.1670.277Positive leadership → Organizational resilience → Proactive work behaviorThe bootstrap method with 95% confidence intervals showed that the distances between the down bound and the upper bound of organizational resilience did not not cross zero. The absence of zero at this distance ensures the significance of indirect paths. Therefore, indirect effect results of the mediation analysis in Table 3 confirmed that organizational resilience exerted a significant mediating role in the relation between positive leadership with psychological empowerment and proactive work behavior.ConclusionThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of positive leadership on psychological empowerment and proactive job behavior via the mediating role of organizational resilience. The results showed that positive leadership was not directly related to proactive work behavior and psychological empowerment, while positive leadership was significantly related to proactive work behavior and psychological empowerment through organizational resilience. Positive leaders in challenging situations can create deep differences in understanding challenges. Such leaders are able to help their followers see threats as an opportunity to thrive and to believe that everyone is responsible for their success.The work environment in which the strengths of the employees are optimized and the recognition of participation and their contribution will lead to the feeling of self-control and experience, consequently, the employees will receive more energy to do their work. It is vital for managers to focus on the strengths of individuals as a way to achieve organizational goals because strengths lead to increased job involvement (Samba et al., 2017). According to the results, it is suggested that positive leadership style is taught through holding training courses for all managers of the company and it is supported as the dominant leadership style in the organization. Taking actions such as delegation of authority and increased autonomy of employees in organizational decision making can provide the ground for increasing psychological empowerment of employees. This will be possible through the implementation of positive leadership style. Ethical ConsiderationCompliance with Ethical Guidelines: All ethical issues such as informed consent and confidentiality of participants' identity were respectedFunding: This study was conducted with financial support shahid Chamran Univversity of Ahvaz. Ahvaz. Iran (SCU.EP1401)Acknowledgment: The author thanks all participants in the study. *. Corresponding author

The Development of Self and Other Forgiveness from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

Faeze Shakeri; Samane Asadi; Fahimeh Dehghani

Volume 8, Issue 4 , January 2023, Pages 17-36

https://doi.org/10.22108/ppls.2023.129004.2127

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of self, others, and situation forgiveness from adolescence to emerging adulthood. To this end, 395 individuals, aged 12 to 25 years in four age groups living in Isfahan, Iran, were selected by cluster (for the first three groups) and available ... Read More The purpose of this study was to investigate the development of self, others, and situation forgiveness from adolescence to emerging adulthood. To this end, 395 individuals, aged 12 to 25 years in four age groups living in Isfahan, Iran, were selected by cluster (for the first three groups) and available sampling (for the fourth group). The study was a cross-sectional study with using the causal-comparative design and the required data were collected with the Forgiveness Scale. The results of the analysis of variance showed that forgiveness of self had a slight decreasing trend from the beginning of adolescence to adulthood. The results also revealed that forgiveness of others declined from 12 to 16 years of age, however, it increased in emerging adulthood. Moreover, the changes in situation forgiveness were not significant in four groups. Eta squared results showed a small effect of age on the forgiveness of self (2%) and forgiveness of others (4%). Finally, there was no significant gender difference in the forgiveness of self and others in different age groups.Introduction*Forgiveness can be defined as a decision to release negative feelings, cognition, and behaviors based on a sense of sympathy, respect and grievance for guilty (Lavafpour et al., 2014). Neto et al. (2014) pointed out three forms of forgiveness: other, self, and situation forgiveness. Other forgiveness manifests itself in intentionally reducing the negative feelings and thoughts against others. Furthermore, self forgiveness refers to passionately releasing the sense of agony against oneself and conversely improving compassion and love for the self (Enright, 1996). Additionally, situation forgiveness refers to rendering all the negative thoughts and feelings surrounding the inevitable hard situations (Tompson et al., 2005). Chiaramello et al. (2008), in their study of the development of forgiveness in adolescence, found that teenagers in the middle of adolescence were less forgiving and more vindictive than in the beginning. Subkowiak et al. (1995) also found that teenagers usually forgave significantly less than adults in similar situations. After adolescence, forgiveness of others increases with age in adulthood. This is because adolescence is the time of identity formation (Berk, 2007, 2014) and emerging adulthood is the period of identity consolidation (Arnett, 2000; Lotfabadi, 2009). Moreover, different ways of socialization of boys and girls (Dastranj, 2013) may cause gender differences in their forgiveness. As such, it can be concluded that the desire to forgive has a developmental trend. This research study aimed to seek this developmental trend for forgiveness from adolescence to emerging adulthood. MethodThis study employed a cross-sectional study with a causal-comparative design. Its statistical sample included 395 individuals whose aged ranged from 12 to 25 years living in Esfahan, Iran. The group classification was a 12-year-old group (55 girls and 50 boys), a 14-year-old group (49 girls and 51 boys), a 16-year-old group (51 girls and 45 boys), and an 18-23-year-old group (48 girls and 46 boys). They were selected by cluster (for the first three groups) and available sampling (for the fourth group). The data were gathered using the Hartland Forgiveness Scale (2005). Hartland Forgiveness Scale (Thompson et al., 2005) includes 18 items in three subscales (self, other, and situation forgiveness). The items are on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (the least amount of forgiveness) to 5 (the highest amount of forgiveness). The descriptive indices (mean, standard deviation), independent group t-tests, multivariate analysis of variance, and Tukey's post hoc test were used to analyze the obtained data. ResultsAccording to the multivariate analysis of variance, there was a significant difference between age groups in the forgiveness of self and others. However, the eta squares for both variables were .02 and .04, respectively, which indicates a small effect. Self-forgiveness differed significantly only between the two groups of 12 and 18-25 years old. Self-forgiveness scores decreased among 18-25-year-olds as compared to 12-year-olds (mean diff.=1.31, p = 0.02). Nonetheless, there were significant differences between the three groups in terms of other forgiveness. There was a decrease in other forgiveness between 16-years-old group and to 12-years-old (Mean diff.=1.63, p = 0.05), and there was an increase in forgiveness for the 18-25 years-old and 14 and 16-years-old groups (Mean diff.= -1.686, p=0.05 and Mean diff.= -2.668, p=0.001). Independent t-tests were used to examine gender differences in forgiveness scores for girls and boys in each age group. Only for situation forgiveness among the12-years-old group, the gender difference was significant with an effect size of (η2=0.05, t=2.39, and p=0.01), while no difference was observed in the other groups. In the 12-year-old group, the scores of situation forgiveness were higher for boys than girls. ConclusionThe results showed that other forgiveness decreased during adolescence and reached its lowest level at the age of 16 and after that, in emerging adulthood, other forgiveness increased significantly. The research of Girard and Mallet (2012) and Chiramello et al. (2008) reported the developmental course of forgiveness of others in adolescents until the age of 15. Also, Subkowiak et al. (1995) stated that adolescents were significantly less forgiving than their same-sex parents in similar situations. As expected, the conflict of the emerging adulthood stage of intimacy versus isolation and relationships with others becomes important for the individual; therefore, the person preserves one’s valuable relationships by forgiving others' mistakes (Kaleta & Mróz, 2018). Also, the findings showed that the development of self-forgiveness has a downward slope, and the 18-25-years-old group forgave themselves significantly less than the 12-year-old group. During adolescence, when identity is formed, self-forgiveness does not change much, but with the emergence of self-esteem, self-evaluation takes place, and a person becomes more sensitive about one’s mistakes, and self-forgiveness becomes more difficult and decreases. However, this research study did not find significant changes in situation forgiveness in four groups. Unfortunately, research background focuses on the forgiveness of others, and other dimensions of forgiveness have not been carefully investigated yet. Therefore, there is little evidence to compare the findings of self-forgiveness and situation, especially during adolescence. In addition, some factors such as small effect sizes and low statistical power can limit generalization of the findings of the present study. Ethical Consideration Compliance with Ethical Guidelines: All ethical issues such as informed consent and confidentiality of participants' identity were respected. Authors’ Contributions: All authors contributed to the study. The first author wrote the first draft of the manuscript. The second and third authors edited the manuscript and the second author is corresponding author.Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest for this study. Funding: This study was conducted with no financial support and is part of M.A. thesis of the first author.Acknowledgment: The authors thank all participants in the study. *. Corresponding author

Investigating the Effects of Spiritually Multidimensional Psychotherapy on the Patients' Anxiety after Bypass Surgery

Fateme Nequee; Masood Janbozorgi

Volume 8, Issue 4 , January 2023, Pages 37-54

https://doi.org/10.22108/ppls.2023.131915.2244

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of multidimensional spiritual therapy for reducing patients' anxiety after cardiac bypass surgery. The study utilized a quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and follow-up with a control group. The statistical population of this study included ... Read More This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of multidimensional spiritual therapy for reducing patients' anxiety after cardiac bypass surgery. The study utilized a quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design and follow-up with a control group. The statistical population of this study included patients who had coronary artery bypass surgery and were referred to the Rehabilitation Center of Tehran Heart Hospital in 2018. Thirty patients who scored high for anxiety on the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DAS-21) questionnaire were selected by convenience sampling and were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The experimental group was exposed to an independent variable (multidimensional spiritual intervention) for ten 90-minute sessions in the hospital rehabilitation center. The results of repeated measurement test showed that there was a significant difference in the anxiety scores for the experimental and control groups in the pre-test, post-test, and one-month and three-month follow-up stages. In addition, there was a significant difference in the pretest-posttest in the spiritual group. There was no significant difference in post-test scores between one-month and three-month follow-ups. Reducing negative emotions by multidimensional spiritual therapy plays an important role in preventing the more severe complications of heart disease, therefore, interventions based on the results of this study are recommended for heart patients.IntroductionCardiovascular diseases, with 11 million deaths per year, are the most important cause of disability and death in the world (Alrawi & Alrawi, 2017). A large number of coronary artery disease (CHD) patients who do not respond to drug treatments undergo coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) (Amjadian et al., 2018). This surgery is accompanied by psychological reactions such as stress, anxiety, and depression. As disturbing factors in treating patients, it affects patients' quality of life, recovery after surgery, the efficiency of surgery, and the rate of death after surgery (Turk-Adawi et al., 2018). The fear of death, disability, and reduced range of motion fuel this anxiety following the continuation of symptoms (Allen et al., 2018). Moreover, anxiety can cause various physical and psychological symptoms such as heart palpitations, increased blood pressure, inability to concentrate, insomnia, and fear of consequences. It seems that the intervention that helps to moderate patients' emotions is multidimensional spiritual treatment psychotherapy. In the form of Lazarus therapy, and in addition to the external dimension of personality, multidimensional spiritual treatment psychotherapy focuses on the spiritual dimension (Richards & Bergin, 2004). Activating the spiritual dimension can take all of them under the and give them unity (Khayatan Mostafavi et al., 2019). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of multidimensional spiritual therapy on the anxiety of patients after heart bypass surgery. MethodThe study employed a quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test and follow-up design with a control group. The research population included cardiac patients with coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) at Tehran Cardiac Rehabilitation Center, Iran in 2018. The sample included 30 patients who scored a high anxiety score on the DAS scale. They were selected via convenient sampling and were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The experimental group received the multidimensional spiritual intervention, and the control group was placed on the waiting list. Finally, the repeated measurement test conducted by SPSS-20 software were used to analyze the data. ResultsThirty patients were studied to examine the effectiveness of multidimensional spiritual treatment for reducing their anxiety. From the sample, 66.81% were men and 33.19% were women. The highest frequency was related to the age group of 60-69 (45.7), and the lowest frequency was 49-40 (15.8). There was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups in demographic variables and clinical data at baseline. In the experimental group, there was a significant difference between the mean and standard deviation of anxiety in the pre-test and post-test stages. However, no significant difference was seen in the pre-test and post-test scores of the control group. Repeated measure variance analysis showed a significant difference in the anxiety scores between the experimental and control groups in the pre-test, post-test, and one-month and three-month follow-up. The results of the mean difference test comparing the spiritual group and the control group in four stages showed that there was a difference in anxiety scores in the pre-test and post-test scores of the experimental group (F=11.067, p<0.05).Post-test scores for the one-month and three-month follow-up stages were not statistically significant (p<0.05). Furthermore, in the control group, the differences in the anxiety scores in the post-test with one-month follow-up and three-month follow-up were not statistically significant (p < 0.05). ConclusionIn this study, the researchers examined the effect of multidimensional spiritual therapy on the patients' anxiety after bypass surgery and the results bear witness to the effectiveness of the intervention. The findings showed that after a 10-session intervention, there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in regards to the patients' anxiety. This significant difference persisted between the two groups continued at one-month and three-month follow-ups. The results of this research are in accordance with previous findings regarding the effect of spiritual therapy on reducing emotional disorders such as anxiety (Amjadian et al., 2017; Hadadi Kohsar et al., 2018; Zamarra et al.,1996). The reason for this reduction in the experimental group is the coherence that the patient has gained about herself, her origin, existence, and others during the treatment period. It frees him from an action that is of ambiguous origin or contradicts other actions. Anxiety results from the perception of a vague internal threat and the conflict that reduces the coherence of human action and one’s mastery over her problems. While activating the spiritual path leads to relaxation, it increases a person's mental health and creates emotional stability. The results of the study of Ai AL et al. (2007) on 309 cardiac patients at the University of Michigan Medical Center showed that people who used spiritual confrontations in their daily life had less depression and anxiety and recover fast. However, these results are in contrast with Delaney et al. (2011) who reported that heart patients had a significant average increase in the overall quality of life score in a one-month spiritual intervention. However, there were no significant changes in anxiety and depression scores. Of course, the lack of effectiveness of this treatment in this group can be related to the lack of real experience of spirituality and not internalizing it. Because when one has not experienced spirituality in his/her being, one will not benefit from its real benefits. On the other hand, if these beliefs are from significant others, the disharmony that it creates cannot improve anxiety and depression because incoherence creates tension and anxiety instead of treatment. Furthermore, if the acquisition of these beliefs is made without personal experience and by compulsion, it will have no result other than disgust, anger, and a lot of bad feelings for the person. As a consequence, it causes tension, anxiety, depression, and physical disorders. Therefore, if spirituality leads to the reduction of anxiety, it is internalized and coherent. Ethical Consideration Compliance with Ethical GuidelinesAll ethical issues like informed consent and confidentiality of participants’ identifications were compiled based on the ethical committee of payamenoor University.Authors’ ContributionsOnly the authors of the article do all steps of the articleConflict of InterestThere is no conflict of interest in this studyFundingThis study was conducted with no financial support.AcknowledgmentThe authors thank all the participants in this research. *

The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion in the Relationship Between Perfectionism and Subjective Well-Being

Sussan Rahimzade; Atosa Mirzasadeghi

Volume 8, Issue 4 , January 2023, Pages 55-74

https://doi.org/10.22108/ppls.2023.133202.2288

Abstract

With the introduction of positive psychology, the attention of psychology has shifted from focusing on disorders and psychological problems to the scientific study of positive personal experiences traits and the institutions that evolve these experiences. This study aimed to investigate the mediating ... Read More With the introduction of positive psychology, the attention of psychology has shifted from focusing on disorders and psychological problems to the scientific study of positive personal experiences traits and the institutions that evolve these experiences. This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of self-compassion in the relationship between perfectionism and subjective well-being (i.e., life satisfaction positive and negative affect). The research design was descriptive-correlational and the sample included 353 students (233 females and 120 males) at Islamic Azad University- South Tehran Branch, Iran. The participants responded to Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF), Life Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Tehran Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (TMPS). The results of path analysis showed that perfectionism and self-compassion explained 33% of the variance of life satisfaction, 15% of the variance of positive affect, and 22% of the variance of negative affect. Furthermore, 17% of the variance of self-compassion was explained by perfectionism. Thus, the research has some implications for overcoming the destructive effects of perfectionism on subjective well-being through teaching self-compassion.IntroductionPositive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth living, focusing on both individual and societal well-being (Csikszentmihalyi & Seligman, 2000). Subjective well-being is one of the key topics in positive psychology, which has received increasing attention from researchers, politicians, media, and people. It is one of the significant and influential variables in mental health and refers to a feeling of happiness and life satisfaction (Diener, 2021). Subjective well-being (SWB) is the scientific term for happiness and life satisfaction—thinking and feeling that your life is going well (Pavot & Diener, 1993). Research findings indicate that personality is one of the most powerful and stable variables in determining subjective well-being (Steel et al., 2008) and perfectionism is a personality trait can play a vital role in subjective well-being.Perfectionism is a personality characteristic as striving for being flawless and setting exceedingly high standards for performance accompanied by tendencies for overly critical self-evaluations and concerns about negative evaluations by others (Flett & Hewitt, 2002; Frost & Marten, 1990). One of the most widely-researched multidimensional models of perfectionism is Hewitt and Flett's (1991) model, which describes self-oriented, other-oriented, and socially prescribed perfectionism.One of the variables that plays a significant role as a mediator in many cases and increases a person's ability to cope with failures and deprivations is self-compassion (Sbarra et al., 2012). Self-compassion is a coping strategy that helps individuals face their fate and the consequence of their deeds (Gerber & Anaki, 2021). It involves three basic components: self-kindness vs self-judgment, a sense of common humanity vs isolation, and mindfulness vs over-identification. These components combine to create a self-compassionate frame of mind (Neff, 2003). The purpose of this study was to know more about the dimensions of perfectionism, the components of subjective well-being and self-compassion, and also to present a model that could account for the relationship between perfectionism and subjective well-being with the mediating role of self-compassion. MethodThe research design of the present study was descriptive-correlational. The criteria for entering the study were the desire to participate in the research and being a student at Islamic Azad University, Southern Tehran Branch in 2021-2022. Due to the online nature of the instruction during the Covid-19 pandemic, the addresses of the online courses and groups were received from the university website. Then. with the permission of the professors, the questionnaires were sent by WhatsApp and Telegram social networks. There was no time limit and obligation for completing the questionnaires. A sample of 353 (233 females and 120 males) students responded to the Self-Compassion Scale Short Form (SCS-SF), Life Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Tehran Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (TMPS). The data were analyzed by using Pearson's correlation coefficient, path analysis method, and bootstrap methods. To test the hypotheses of the study, path analysis using the bootstrap method was used. the unstandardized and determined estimation of the paths of the model are presented in Table 2 is reflected. Table 2: Summary of Path Analysis Results Based on Bootstrap Methohypotheses (paths)EstimateS.E.C.R.StandardizedEstimateSelf-oriented perfectionism→Self-compassion-.314.058-5.392**-.31Other-oriented perfectionism→Self-compassion-.060.063-.964-.06Socially prescribed Perfectionism→Self-compassion-.217.046-4.751**-.26Self-oriented perfectionism→Satisfaction with life-.093.059-1.581-.09Self-oriented perfectionism→Positive affect.080.0711.124 .07Self-oriented perfectionism→Negative affect.058.067.865.05Other-oriented perfectionism→Satisfaction with life.072.0611.171 .07Other-oriented perfectionism→Positive affect.121.0741.635 .10Other-oriented perfectionism→Negative affect-.013.069-.182 .01Socially prescribed Perfectionism→Satisfaction with life-.095.046-2.082-.11Socially prescribed Perfectionism→Positive affect-.063.055-1.138-.06Socially prescribed Perfectionism→Negative affect.289.0525.579** .28Self-compassion→Satisfaction with life.388.0527.465** .39Self-compassion→Positive affect.442.0637.035** .38Self-compassion→Negative affect-.507.059-8.655**-.42P*<0/05 P**<0/001 The results of path analysis showed that perfectionism and self-compassion accounted for 33% of the variance of life satisfaction, 15% of the variance of positive affect, and 22% of the variance of negative affect. Moreover, 17% of the variance of self-compassion was explained by perfectionism ConclusionThe present study aimed to present a model of the relationship between perfectionism and subjective well-being via the mediation of self-compassion. The results showed that self-compassion had a positive relationship with life satisfaction and positive affect. Also, there was a negative negative relationship between self-compassion and negative affect, which is consistent with the definition of subjective well-being and in line with previous research in the field (Bluth & Neff, 2018; Gilbert & Procter, 2006). To explain this finding, it should be considered that painful experiences, suffering, and failure are inevitable throughout life. Self-compassionate people accept themselves as they are and treat themselves kindly and without judgment. As a result of this, when self-compassion increases, subjective well-being increases as well (Neff & Costigan, 2014; Stoeber et al., 2020).Furthermore, the results showed that self-oriented and socially prescribed Perfectionism had a negative relationship with self-compassion, and other-oriented perfectionism did not have a significant relationship, which is similar to the research results (Stoeber et al., 2020). Stoeber (2014) distinguished other-oriented perfectionism from self-oriented and socially prescribed Perfectionism. The findings of the research indicated that with the increase in perfectionism, students' self-compassion decreases, and with the decrease of self-compassion, subjective well-being decreases. Perfectionism by reducing self-compassion leads to a decrease in subjective well-being. This shows that self-compassion is one of the structures by which the dimensions of perfectionism exert their negative effects on the subjective well-being components. Perfectionists who experience less self-compassion show higher levels of negative affect and lower levels of life satisfaction and positive affect. It seems that a high level of self-compassion creates a caring force that reduces the negative effects of perfectionism on subjective well-being (Bluth & Neff, 2018; Neff, 2021).This study has some limitations. First, it was conducted among the students of the IAU-South Tehran Branch, therefore, the results are limited to this specific sample. In addition, this research was conducted during the covid-19 pandemic, which had an impact on subjective well-being, and the results may be affected by the time situation resulting from the pandemic. It is also suggested that other variables of personality, age, gender, and marriage should be investigated to present a better picture of the variables involved in the study. Because self-compassion can be taught with the help of targeted interventions, it is suggested that self-compassion training be involved in the educational programs of schools, universities. This can be done and by preparing brochures, training in mental health clinics and using media to pay attention to training parents to raise self-compassionate children. Ethical Consideration Compliance with Ethical Guidelines: Participation was voluntary. The participants were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any time. All ethical issues like informed consent and confidentiality of participants’ identifications were compiled based on ethical committee of Islamic Azad University- South Tehran Branch.Authors’ Contributions: All authors contributed to the study. First author contributed to the conception and design of the study, as well as the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, andwriting the entire manuscript. Second author contributed to developing the study design and to final approval of the version to be submitted. Both authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version. Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest for this study.Funding: This study was conducted with no financial support.Acknowledgment: The authors thank all participants in the study. *. Corresponding author

Comparing the Effectiveness of Body Appreciation Training and Self-Healing Training for Food Cravings and Weight Control Self-Efficacy among Overweight Women

Zahra Fathi; Zohreh Latifi

Volume 8, Issue 4 , January 2023, Pages 75-94

https://doi.org/10.22108/ppls.2023.132282.2256

Abstract

Food cravings and weight control self-efficacy are psychological issues that can initially and steadily lead to the phenomenon of overweight. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of body appreciation training and self-healing training for food cravings and weight control self-efficacy ... Read More Food cravings and weight control self-efficacy are psychological issues that can initially and steadily lead to the phenomenon of overweight. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of body appreciation training and self-healing training for food cravings and weight control self-efficacy among overweight women. The method included pretest posttest quasi-experimental design with control group and quarterly follow-up period. Among overweight women referring to control and weight loss centers in Isfahan, 45 were purposed selected and randomly assigned to three groups. The first experimental group participated in 14 weekly 90-minute sessions of body appreciation training and the second experimental group received 14 sessions of 90 minutes and weekly self-healing training. Also, the control group did not receive any intervention during this period. The research instruments were food cravings and weight-bearing self-efficacy questionnaires. The results of repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that in the variables of food cravings and weight control self-efficacy, there was a significant difference between body appreciation training group and self-healing training group with control group. However, there was no significant difference between body appreciation training group and self-healing training group. According to the results, body appreciation training and self-healing training can be used to reduce food cravings and increase self-efficacy related to weight control in overweight women. IntroductionBeing overweight is one of the common disorders that not only creates physical problems but also leads to psychological challenges for the individual (Sasani et al., 2020). A review of the related literature indicates that making efforts to reduce food cravings and weight control self-efficacy can significantly enhance the effectiveness of nutrition and training programs. (Amirizadeh et al., 2016). Given that both of these approaches highlight the role of body appreciation and self-healing in changing the individuals’ attitudes about their self and coping strategies; the present study aimed to compare the effectiveness of body appreciation training and self-healing training for food cravings and weight control self-efficacy among overweight women. Specifically, the current study aimed to find whether there were any meaningful differences between the effect of body appreciation training and self-healing training on food cravings and weight control self-efficacy among overweight women. MethodThis study employed a pretest posttest quasi experimental design with a control group and a three-month follow-up. To this end, the researchers purposefully selected 45 women referring to the wight control centers in Isfahan, Iran in 2021. The participants were randomly assigned to three experimental and control groups. The research instruments included Mol et al.'s food cravings questionnaire (2014) and Clark et al.'s weight-bearing self-efficacy questionnaire (1991). After the participants received the pretest, the first experimental group received in 14 sessions 90-minute sessions of body appreciation training and the second experimental group received 14 sessions of 90 minutes and weekly self-healing training. It should be noted that the control group did not receive any intervention during this period. The participants in the three groups responded to the same questionnaires at the end of the interventions and three months later. To analyze the data, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and chi square tests were used to check for homogeneity, and repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc tests were used to test the research hypotheses. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 24. ResultsTable 1 presents the descriptive statistics related to food cravings and weight control self-efficacy.Table 1. Mean and Standard Deviation of Research Variables in Three Research Groups in Three Time StagesBody appreciationSelf-healingControl MeanSDMeanSDMeanSDStageVariable46.204.4446.133.7946.73 PretestFood cravings43.402.5541.334.8247.402.32Posttest 42.202.9842.203.7046.932.05Follow-up 24.402.7423.532.2323.802.70PretestWight control self-efficacy32.03.0931.133.3124.862.09posttest31.463.2030.03.4422.62.41Follow-up Moreover, Table 2 presents the results of repeated measures ANOVA for within group, within group interaction, and between group factor for the research variables. 47 Table 2. Summary Of Results of Analysis of Variance with Repeated MeasurementsSum of squaresFDMean SquaresFSigetaPowerFactor Variable 179.511289.75612.237.0001.225.988Time Food cravings 365.7332182.8678.559.001.290.959Group 145.689436.4224.996.001.191.924Tame X Group 720.3112360.15662.226.0001.5971.00Time Weigh control self-efficacy 755.6002387.80030.577.0001.5931.00Group 362.489490.62215.677.0001.4271.00Tame X Group The results indicated that time (F= 21.33, p > .001), group (F= 8.55, p > .001), and time-group interaction (F= 4.96, p > .001), factors were significant for wight control self-efficacy. The meaningful effects for time and group membership that there were significant differences between the three groups in terms of wight control self-efficacy and food cravings. In addition, the results related to food cravings indicated that time (F = 62.26, p > .001), group (F = 30.57, p > .001), and time-group interaction (F = 15.66, p > .001) factors were significant for this variable. Table 3. Bonferroni Test Results for Two-By-Two Comparison of Research GroupsMean differencesigTreatment groupGroup Factor Variable .733.456Self-healingBody appreciation Group Food cravings 3.06.003ControlBody appreciation 3.80.0001ControlSelf-healing -2.84.004PretestPretest Time -2.980.01Follow-up -.131Follow-upPosttest 1.067.165Self-healingBody appreciation Group Wight loss self-efficacy 5.333.0001ControlBody appreciation 4.467.0001ControlSelf-healing -.62.05PosttestPretest Time -.67.005Follow-up -.24.08Follow-upPosttest As shown in Table 3, the results of Bonferroni post hoc test indicated that there were significant differences between self-healing and body appreciation groups with control group in terms of food cravings and weight control self-efficacy (p >.05), while there were no differences between self-healing and body appreciation groups. DiscussionThe purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of body appreciation training and self-healing training for food cravings and weight control self-efficacy among overweight women. It seems that the results of the current study indicated that body appreciation and self-healing training have significant effects on food cravings among overweight women and both led to lower food cravings. The results of this study are in line with the study by Homan and Tilka (2018) who reported similar findings. One possible explanation for the effect of body appreciation might be that this type of training employs positive psychology and identifying weaknesses and strengths to help developing positive attitudes about body, higher body acceptance, and protecting body by preventing unreal expectations.In regards to the effectiveness of self-healing, the findings of the present study were in line with the results of Zarean and Latifi (2021), Irani et al. (2021), Soltani et al. (2020). Moreover, it can be argued that self-healing training, due to its focus on identifying and resolving negative memories and by controlling external and internal triggers, could prevent food cravings.Moreover, the findings indicated that self-healing, similar to body appreciation, positively influenced weight control self-efficacy and led to weight control. It can be mentioned that this training method aimed to teach women to re-evaluate the messages they received about themselves and empower them to reject the negative ones (Bailey et al., 2015). This way, the individuals build a different relationship with their body and enables them to create emotional and cognitive changes; therefore, they have higher self-efficacy in regards to their weight control.The results of the study should be generalized with caution because the sample was limited to women in Isfahan. It is also suggested that future studies use the same training methods in people who aim to have cosmetic surgeries or have negative attitudes about their shape and face in different contexts. Ethical ConsiderationCompliance with Ethical Guidelines: articipation was voluntary—the participants were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any time. All ethical issues like informed consent and confidentiality of participants’ identifications were compiled based on ethical committee of Islamic Azad University of Isfahan (Khomeinishahr).Authors’ Contributions: First author (Z. F) contributed to the conception and design of the study, as well as the acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, and writing the entire manuscript. Second author (Z. L) contributed to developing the study design and to final approval of the version to be submitted. Both authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest for this study.Funding: This study was conducted with no financial support.Acknowledgment: The authors thank all participants in the study. *. Corresponding author

The Relationship Between Dark and Light Dimensions of Personality with Life Satisfaction Mediated by Value Orientations

Batoul Alipour gourand; Masoumeh Azemoudeh; Khalil Esmaielpour; Seyed Davood Hosseini nasab

Volume 8, Issue 4 , January 2023, Pages 95-112

https://doi.org/10.22108/ppls.2022.131546.2227

Abstract

Different studies have examined the relationship between dark and light personality dimensions and life satisfaction. Using the structural equation method, this correlational descriptive study aimed to determine the relationship between dark and light dimensions of personality with life satisfaction ... Read More Different studies have examined the relationship between dark and light personality dimensions and life satisfaction. Using the structural equation method, this correlational descriptive study aimed to determine the relationship between dark and light dimensions of personality with life satisfaction as mediated by value orientations. To this end, 400 people who referred to health centers in Tabriz, Iran were selected through convenience sampling method. To collect data, Life Satisfaction Questionnaire, Dark Triad Personality Questionnaire, Light Triad Personality Questionnaire, and the Value System Questionnaire were used. Then the data were analyzed using the structural equation method. While the dark dimensions had a negative effect on life satisfaction, the light dimensions had a positive effect. There was a negative relationship between dark dimensions and life satisfaction as mediated by value orientations. Meanwhile, there was a positive relationship between light dimensions and life satisfaction as mediated by value orientations. Therefore, the dark and light dimensions of personality and the way of value orientation are related to the level of life satisfaction. Accordingly, researchers can examine the effectiveness of these variables on life satisfaction through developing psychotherapy interventions influencing the variables of dark and light dimensions of personality and value orientation. Introduction*Various personality variables affect the level of life satisfaction. The dark dimensions, including antisocial, narcissism, and Machiavellianism, have a direct role in people's attitudes towards life (Paulhus &Williams, 2002). Various studies have shown the negative relationship between dark personality traits and life satisfaction (Marashi et al., 2017; Sharifinia & Harun Rashidi, 2020). The light dimensions, including three dimensions of humanity, faith in humanity, and Kantianism (Kaufman et al., 2019) along with the way of value orientation have a positive relationship with life satisfaction (Sadeghi et al., 2018). While people with light personality traits use developed defense mechanisms (Wood et al., 2010) leading to life satisfaction, people with dark personality traits choose anti-moral values ‌‌in life (Oboyle et al., 2012) which result in dissatisfaction with life. Considering the essential role of personality traits and the type of value orientation in the level of life satisfaction, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the dark and light dimensions of personality with life satisfaction mediated by value orientation. MethodThis descriptive correlational research used structural equation method. Using the available sampling method, a total of 400 individuals referring to the health centers in Tabriz, Iran were selected. The following four questionnaires were completed by participants.Life Satisfaction Questionnaire: This five-item scale was developed by Diener et al. (1985). A higher score indicates more satisfaction with life. Diener et al. obtained the reliability of this scale with Cronbach's alpha method (0.86). In the present study, Cronbach's alpha obtained for this scale was 0.78. Dark Triads Personality Questionnaire: This 12-item scale was designed by Johnson and Webster (2010) and includes three subscales: Machiavellianism, antisociality, and narcissism. Johnson and Webster reported the test-retest reliability coefficient of this questionnaire as 0.89 for the entire scale. In the present study, Cronbach's alphas obtained for Machiavellian, antisocial, and narcissistic subscales were 0.79, 0.69, and 0.73, respectively. Light Triads Personality Questionnaire: This scale was designed by Kaufman et al. (2019) and consists of three subscales: Kantianism, humanity, and faith in humanity. The internal reliability coefficient for this scale was estimated as 0.84 in the original study (Kaufman et al., 2019). In our study, Cronbach's alphas obtained for the variables of Kantianism, humanity, and faith in humanity were 0.69, 0.72, and 0.68, respectively. The Value System Questionnaire: This scale was developed by Schwartz (2006) and consists of 57 questions and ten scales of the value system. The Cronbach's alphas reported by Schwartz for the subscales of benevolence, traditionalism, conformity, security, power, arousal, hedonism, success, spontaneity, and cosmopolitanism were 0.61, 0.37, 0.48, 0.64, 0.50, 0.69, 0.79, 0.52, 0.53, 0.57, respectively. In the present study, the alpha obtained for each of the subscales was estimated to be more than 0.67. ResultsWhile the dark dimensions had a negative effect on life satisfaction, the light dimensions had a positive effect. There was a significant relationship between the dark and light dimensions with life satisfaction as mediated by value orientations. Table 1 shows the Pearson’s correlation matrix for the studied variables. Table 1. Pearson’s Correlation Matrix for The Relationships between Research Variables4321Variables 11- Dark dimensions 1-0/61**2- Light dimensions 10/56**-0/58**3- Value orientation10/62**0/69**-0/64**4- Life satisfactionP<.01 According to Table 1, there was a significant negative relationship between the dark dimensions with light dimensions, value orientation, and life satisfaction. There was a significant positive relationship between the light dimensions with value orientations and life satisfaction. Also, there was a significant positive relationship between value orientations and life satisfaction. .83 .68 .58 Figure 1. Structural Model of Dark and Light Dimensions Mediated by Value Orientation on Life Satisfaction To investigate the indirect relationship between the dark and light dimensions with life satisfaction as mediated by value orientations, the bootstrap method was used (Table 2). Table 2. Bootstrap Results for Indirect Model RelationshipspUpper limitLower limitStandardized estimatorVariables 0/006 -0/027 - 0/200 -0/097The relationship between dark dimensions with life satisfaction mediated by value orientations0/0040/1940/0220/092The relationship between light dimensions with life satisfaction mediated by value orientations P<0.05 The bootstrapping test results showed that dark dimensions had a negative indirect effect on life satisfaction mediated by value orientations (= -0.097); Also, light personality dimensions had a positive indirect effect on life satisfaction mediated by value orientations (= 0.092).ConclusionThis study investigated the relationship between the dark and light dimensions with life satisfaction through the mediating role of value orientation. According to the results, while the dark dimensions had a negative effect on life satisfaction, the light dimensions had a positive effect on it. According to psychological theories, life satisfaction is widely influenced by a person's developmental background such as personality traits. Dark personality traits show the tendency to experience more unpleasant emotional states such as anger, sadness, despair, and other negative emotions. These people perceive life stressful and are dissatisfied with their social support, which can explain lower levels of life satisfaction. People with clear personality traits have extensive verbal and communication skills, which facilitates relationships with others, provides them with more social support, and increases life satisfaction.In our study, there was a relationship between the dark and light dimensions of personality with life satisfaction mediated by value orientations. People who have light personality dimensions experience more life satisfaction through choosing positive defense mechanisms, realistic views, and moral value orientations in life. People with dark personality dimensions adopt an anti-moral value orientation, which ultimately causes dissatisfaction with life. Accordingly, psychologists and counselors should pay more attention to the role of personality variables and value orientations in the beginning and continuation of psychological interventions in primary prevention programs and interventional and clinical work.Ethical ConsiderationCompliance with Ethical Guidelines: This research has the code of ethics IR.IAU.TABRIZ.REC.1400089 from the ethics committee of the research vice-chancellor of Islamic Azad University, Tabriz Branch.Authors’ Contributions: All authors contributed to the study. The first author written the first draft of the manuscript. The second author edited the manuscript. The third author advised result sections. The fourth author written the methods sections.Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest for this study.Funding: This study was conducted with no financial support.Acknowledgment: The authors thank all participants in the study. *. Corresponding author

Developing a Model of Academic Buoyancy based Meaning of Life Mediated by Happiness in Students

Hassan Shadkam; Abolghasem Yaghoobi; Firoozeh Zanganeh Motlagh; zabih pirani; Hossein Mohagheghi

Volume 7, Issue 4 , January 2022, , Pages 41-54

https://doi.org/10.22108/ppls.2022.131247.2217

Abstract

Academic buoyancy is one of the positive constructs of psychology that researchers in education have considered. Therefore, this study aimed to design a model of academic buoyancy based on meaning mediated by happiness in female high school students in Hamadan. The research method was correlational and ... Read More

Effect of Positive Training on Positive Psychological States (Character Strengths) of Female High School Students

Ali Farnam; Tahereh Madadizade

Volume 3, Issue 1 , October 2017, , Pages 61-76

https://doi.org/10.22108/ppls.2017.96495.0

Abstract

psychological states of female students in second and third grades of high school. The research method was quasi-experimental with pre-test, post-test and follow-up. The sample consisted of forty students selected randomly in two groups (twenty students in each group). To collect data, Positive Psychological ... Read More

The Effect of Positive Thinking Training on Quality of Life, Depression, Stress and Anxiety in Delinquent Juveniles

Zahra Nikmanesh; Maryam Zandvakili

Volume 1, Issue 2 , September 2015, , Pages 64-53

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of positive thinking training on quality of life and reduction of depression, stress and anxiety in delinquent boys of Zahedan Juvenile Correction and Rehabilitation Center (ZJCRC). Method of this research was a quasi-experimental with ... Read More

The Effect of Positive Thinking Training in Enhancement of Quality and Hope of life among the Elderly

Ali Farnam

Volume 2, Issue 1 , March 2016, , Pages 75-88

https://doi.org/10.22108/ppls.2016.21298

Abstract

The study aimed to investigate the effect of positive thinking training in enhancement of quality and hope of life among the elderly. The research design was quasi experimental with pretest- posttest, two month follow up with control group. The research sample was consisted of fifty elderly adults who ... Read More

Effectiveness of Positive Group Intervention on Psychological Wellbeing, Resiliency and Happiness of Foster Care Adolescent Girls

Reihaneh Honarmand Zadeh; Ilnaz Sajjadian

Volume 2, Issue 2 , March 2017, , Pages 35-50

https://doi.org/10.22108/ppls.2016.21335

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of positive group intervention on psychological well-being, resiliency and happiness of foster care adolescent girls under the surveillance of Isfahan Welfare Organization. The study was a quasi-experimental research and conducted through the ... Read More

Positive Psychology Research

Articles in Press

Current Issue

Volume 8 (2022)

Volume 7 (2021)

Volume 6 (2020)

Volume 5 (2019)

Volume 4 (2018)

Volume 3 (2017)

Volume 2 (2016)

Volume 1 (2015)

Positive Psychology Research, vol. 8, Issue 4, No. 32, Winter 2022

Abstract

Developing a Model for the Effect of Positive Leadership on Proactive Work Behavior and Psychological Empowerment: The Mediating of Organizational Reliance

Abstract

The Development of Self and Other Forgiveness from Adolescence to Emerging Adulthood

Abstract

Investigating the Effects of Spiritually Multidimensional Psychotherapy on the Patients' Anxiety after Bypass Surgery

Abstract

The Mediating Role of Self-Compassion in the Relationship Between Perfectionism and Subjective Well-Being

Abstract

Comparing the Effectiveness of Body Appreciation Training and Self-Healing Training for Food Cravings and Weight Control Self-Efficacy among Overweight Women

Abstract

The Relationship Between Dark and Light Dimensions of Personality with Life Satisfaction Mediated by Value Orientations

Abstract

Developing a Model of Academic Buoyancy based Meaning of Life Mediated by Happiness in Students

Abstract

Effect of Positive Training on Positive Psychological States (Character Strengths) of Female High School Students

Abstract

The Effect of Positive Thinking Training on Quality of Life, Depression, Stress and Anxiety in Delinquent Juveniles

Abstract

The Effect of Positive Thinking Training in Enhancement of Quality and Hope of life among the Elderly

Abstract

Effectiveness of Positive Group Intervention on Psychological Wellbeing, Resiliency and Happiness of Foster Care Adolescent Girls

Abstract

Indexing and Abstracting

Keywords Cloud